Tucking attachment for knitting machines



June 10,1930. A. E. PAGE TUCKING ATTACHMENT FOR-KNITTING MACHINES FiledDec. 10, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet, 1

INVENTOR June 10, 1930. A. E. PAGE TUCKING ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTINGMACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 10. 1927 Patented June 10, 1930UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT E. PAGE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,ASSIGNORTO SCOTT & WILLIAMS, IN- CORPORATED, OFNEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION 013 MASSACHUSETTS TUGKING- ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING MACHINESApplication filed December 10, 1927.

My invention consists of an improved tucking attachment for knittingmachines and more particularly an attachment adaptneedles with longerlatches for knitting those wales in which the tuck stitches are to bemade, in a manner similar to that shown and described in my prior Patent1,367 ,425, dated February 1, 1921. The movable clearing or tucking camis operated so that at some courses all the needles will be moved toclear the stitches, and at other times the needles will be projectedonly far enough to clear the stitches on the short latch needles, andnot those on the long latch needles.

The tucking cam in the present invention can be operated from twoseparate controls at independent times, one of the controls depressingthe tucking cam during at least one full revolution of the needlecylinder for the production of the two rows of distinguishing marks atthe back of the leg, and the cam being depressed by other means at othertimes for a partial revolution of the needle cylinder in such manner asto cause production of tuck marks by the clocking needles but notcausing the narrowing marks needles to tuck.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my improved tucking attachmentapplied to the well known Scott & Williams type of revolving needlecylinder seamless hosiery machine, but it should be understood that I donot limit myself to that type of machine.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of sufficient of a seamlesshosiery machine to illustrate the main el ments of my invention;

Serial No. 239,231.

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the movable clearing cam;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the clearing cam and the mechanism operatingsame; while Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig.1.

In the example illustrated in the drawings, the leading stitch cam 361is used as the tucking cam, being pivoted at 361 and rocked by a pin 361projecting to the exte rior of the cam cylinder 271. This pin 361 restsupon the outer end of a tucking lever 24:3 pivoted 011 the bed plate Bof the machine (Fig. There is a small coiled spring 244 tending to holdthe clearing cam 361 in its downward position (Fig. 2). The other end ofthe tucking lever 243 is connected to an adjustable vertical rod 231,and it is the vertical movements of this rod which move the clearingcam.

The machine is equipped with needles having long latches and shortlatches, as shown in the above mentioned patent to Albert E. Page1,367,425, and the movements ofthe clearing cam 361 are such that whileboth the long and short latch needles will clear their stitches when thecam is in its uppermost position, only the short latch needles willclear their stitches when the cam is in its lowermost position. In otherwords, tuck stitches will be produced on the long latch needles as longas the rod 231 is in its uppermost position.

For the purpose of making fashion marks such as shown in the ScottPatent 1,233,714, dated July 17, 1917, I prefer to place two long butt,long latch needles at the back of the stocking, the remainder of theneedles on the heel. side of the stocking being short but-t needles withshort latches. As in my earlier patent I set the clearing cam in tuckingposition by means of the pattern chain 85, a tripping device operatedfrom the quadrant 75 causing the clearing cam to return to the plainknitting position at the proper time. These means for lowering theclearing cam for a minimum of atleast one full revolution of a needlecylinder comprise a latch 237 pivoted to the lower end of the r 231,Whose catch engages the out r end i of a bracket 232 pivotall mounted ona stud 234 on the frame of t e machine. The lower end of the rod 231contains a slot 240, and in this slot moves a screw 239 mounted on thebracket 232. When the latch 237 engages the upper side of the arm of thebracket 232 this screw is at the lower end of the slot. There is atension spring 238 fastened to the end of the latch 237 which tends todraw and thus hold the latch in engagement with the bracket 232, andalso tends to draw the vertical rod. 231 downwardly.

The bracket 232 has a depending arm with a pinor stud 236 projectinglaterally from its end and overlying one side of the links of thepattern chain. hen a lug on this side of the pattern chain comesincontact with the pin 236 it rocks the bracket 232, lifts the rod 231vand causes the clearing cam to be lowered to the position shown in fulllines in Fig. 2 where the long latch needles no longer clear theirstitches and tucks are produced. For the purpose of trippingthe rod 231to prevent tucking on more than two successive courses the followingelements are provided in connection with the latch 237. There is a tripwire 242 carried by the latch 237 which can. be adjusted at such aheight that the free end of the trip rod 241 will be opposite the lowerend of the wire when the rod 231 is inelevated position. This trip rod241 is pivoted on the usual quadrant 75 and slides back and forththrough a notch in the bracket When the rocking of the'quadrant pushesthe rod 241 forward it hits the trip wire 242 if the clearing cam is intucking position, and knocks the latch clear of the bracket. Thispermits the tension spring 238 to pull the vertical rod 231 downwardlyand the clearing cam 361 thereupon rises and tucking ceases. The pointsof pivotal connection to the quadrant 75 of the tripping rod 241 and thechain pawl 87 which acts on the ratchet (not shown) to rack the chain,are such that for the most part the pawl and the rod move in oppositedirections and the tripping rod has a longer movement than does thepawl. In the example shown in the drawings the quadrant completes itscycle of movement in four revolutions of the needle cylinder and thetripping of the vertical rod 231 is timed to take place so that theclearing cam 361 will be returned to its full clearing position on orbefore the com pletion of two revolutions after the bracket istippedupwardly by thelug on the pattern chain.

bracket 232 drops off the lug on the pattern \Vhen the pin 236 ofthechain, the bracket swings back to its normal position, shown in Fig. 1,the screw 239 fastening the vertical rod to the bracket drops to thebottom of the slot 240 and the pivoted latch 237 reengages the bracket232 as shown. Plain knitting will then continue until another lug on thepattern chain comes along to rock the swin ing bracket 232 and raise therod 231 an lower the clearing cam 361 for tucking. This mechanismprovides means for inserting for two courses the distinguishing marksreferred to in the patent to Robert WV. Scott, Number 1,233,714 datedJuly 17, 1917, and then omitting them for six or more courses during theknitting of those portions of the calf of the leg where such marks aredesired. I have invented improved means which, 1n addition. to producmgthe tuck stitches on the back 0,: the

calf of the leg, will also make other tuck stitches to produce theappearance of clocks the tuck stitches at the sides of the leg and 'footwithout simultaneously making tuck stitches at the back of the leg, thisbeing accomplished by operating the clearing cam 361 from a separatecontrol means.

This second means is driven autcmati cally from the main drive shaft 32which operates the usual needle cylinder 260 through the intermediaryotthe main bevel gear 31. On'the end of the drive shaft 32 is a smallpinion engaging a gear 266 having twice many'teeth as the pinion andtherefore making one revolution for every two revolutions of the needlecylinder.v This gear 266 is carried on the lower arm of a bell cranklever 264 pivoted on a stud 450 on the frame of the machine and axiallymounted with this gear 266 is a cam hen in operative position therevolution of this cam 265 in unison with the gear 266 causes verticalmovement of the rod 231 by means of an operating bar 246 pivoted at oneend to the upper arm of the bell crank lever 264, and its other endtaking into a slotted plate 245 on the vertical rod 231. The engagementbetween the cam 265 and the operating bar 246 is made by means of alaterally extending pin 247 on the bar 246. The cam 265 is of sucha sizeand shape that when its high portion is in engagement with the pin 247the clearing cam will be held inits-lowermost position so that the longlatch needles will not clear their stitches.

This second control means is moved into operative position from the maindrum by means of drum cams 501, 502 acting against a foot 267 dependingfrom the hub bar 246 will be lifted bythe high portion 5;:

of the cam 265. \Vhen the depending foot 267 rests on the surface of themain pattern drum 120, the center ofthe gear 266 will be below a linedrawn-from the center of the pinion engaging that gear to the center ofii thestud 450 on which the bell crank lever is pivoted. In thisposition the gear 266 is still in mesh with the pinion which drives itbut the high portion of the cam is too low to engage the pin 2 17. Thelength 01 the high portion of the cam 265 is less than one half thecircumference of the cam and I prefer to so locate it that the high partof. the cam lowers the clearing cam 361 while the long butt needles arepassing this clearing cam. This high portion of the cam 265 is sopositioned and of such length that while it will operate on the pin 24L?to cause tucking on the side clocking needles, it will be out of contactwith pin 247 when the long latch needles which make the narrowing markspass the cam 361 and as a result the cam 265 cannot cause them to tuck.Since the long latch needles which made the narrowing marks on the backof the leg are located in the middle of the short butt see;- inent ofneedles, no tucks are made on the back of the leg while this secondcontrol means is in operation.

If it is desired to prevent the making of tuck marks on the side of theleg during any part of the time while the narrowing mark tuck stitchesare being made, two lengths of but-ts on the long latch needles and anextra clearing cam can be used. The long latch needles which are to makethe narrowing marks have short butts and move, as already described, butthe long latch needles making the marks at the side of the leg and foothave long butts and are cleared by an extra clearing cam 382 located inthe path of the long butt needles just in front of the regular leadingstitch cam 361. This auxiliary clearing cam 382 can be moved into andout of operative relation with the long butt needles by cam lever l87oper-' ated by means of a cam 135 on the upper end of one of the regularthrust rods leading to the main pattern drum 120. A simi lar cam on athrust rod for a similar purpose is shown and described in the patent toRobert VJ. Scott, No. 1,282,958, dated October 29, 1918.

The operation of my tucking attachment will now be described.Assumingthat the stocking is being knit from top to toe, the welt andupper leg of the stocking are made in the regular way, the foot 267 ofthe bell crank lever casting being down on the surface of the mainpattern drum 120.

li hen it becomes necessary to put in the luck stitches for thenarrowing marks on the back of the calf of the leg, the thrust rodcarrying the cam 185 is moved in such a manner as to cause insertion ofthe auxiliary clearing cam 382 to a position where it engages the longbutt needles, and simultaneously the shaft 30 turning the sprocket wheelS l brings a series of lugs on the left side of the pattern chain intoengagement with the pin 36, causing the bracket 232 to lift the ver icalrod 231 every eighth revolu tion of the needle cylinder. This lowers theleading stitch cam 361 to the position shown in full lines inFig. 2, andtuck stitches are made on the back of the calf of the leg by the shortbutt long latch needles. The trip rod 2&1 hits the trip wire 242 abouttwo revolutions of the needle cylinder after each time that the rod 231has been raised by a lug on the pattern chain, and as a result the latch237 is freed from the bracket 232 and the clearing cam returns to itsuppermost position. 7

After these narrowing marks on the back of the calf of the leg arefinished, the auxiliary clearing cam 382 is withdrawn from con tact withthe high butt needles and from this point on there are no more links onthe pattern chain raising the foot 235 of the bracket 232. Assuming thatthe tuck stitches on the side of the leg and foot are to commence at thehigh splice above the heel, the foot 267 on the bell crank lever castingrides on to the drum cam 501 raising the cam 265 until it is inoperative position with relation to the pin 2 17, as shown in Fig. 1.The cam 265 will then raise the vertical rod 231 every other revolutionof the needle cylinder for that part of the course during which the longbutt needles are passing the leading stich cam 361, and as a result thelong butt long latch needles will not clear their stitches and tuckstitches will be made.

he low portion of the earn 265 allows the will therefore clear theirstitches and no tuck stitches will be made at the back oi the stocking.

lvhen the heel of the stocking is being made the foot 267 on the bellcrank lever casting lies on the surface of the pattern drum 120 betweenthe drum cams 501 and 502, and when round-and-round knitting isrecommenced after completion of the heel, the foot 267 rides up onto thecam 502 and resumes the making of: the tuck stitches on the side of thefoot in a manner already described.

What I claim is 1. A knitting machine having independent needles and acam for the needle butts,

- adapted when raised to cause the latches of i certain needles to clearand when depressed cylinder the second means being adapted to depresssame for a partial revolution.

2. A knitting machine having independent needles and a cam for theneedlebutts, adapted when raised to cause the latches of certain needles toclear and when depressed to cause those needles to tuck in combinationwith pattern mechanism and means operated by said pattern mechanismadapted to depress said cam during a minimum of one full revolution ofthe needle cylinder and a second control means operative independentlyof said first mentioned means adapted .to depress the cam for only apartial revolution.

8. A knitting machine having independent needles and a movable cam forthe needle butts, adapted when raised to cause the latches of all theneedles 'to clear and when depressed to cause certain of the needles totuck, in combina'tion with pattern mechanism and means operated by saidpattern mechanism adapted to depress said tucking cam for a minimum ofone full revolution of the needle cylinder, and a second means operativeindependently of said first mentioned means moving in time with theneedle cylinder adapted automatically to depress the cam during apartialrevolution.

4:. A circular knitting machine having independent needles certaingroups thereof having longer latches than others, a movable clearing camadapted when raised to cause all the needles to clear and when depressedto cause the long latch groups to tuck, and

an auxiliary cam adapted to clear one of said long latch groups incombination with pattern mechanism and means operated by said patternmechanism adapted automatically to depress said clearing cam during aminimum of one full revolution of the needle cylinder, a pattern drumand a second control means operative independently of said firstmentioned means adapted to depress said clearing cam for a partialrevolution, said second control means being adapted to be thrown intoand out of operative relation by said pattern drum, said auxiliaryclearing cam being adapted to be put into and out of operative positionfrom said pattern drum.

5. A circular knitting machine having independent needles and a movablecan: for the needle butts adapted whenv raised to cause the latches ofthe needles to clear and said operating cam operating to move'said barto depress said movable needle butt cam during a partial revolution ofthe needle cylinder, and control means comprisname to thisspecification.

ALBERT E. PAGE.

